Scholarships have been offered for students to study internationally for centuries, with well-known examples including the Fulbright Scholarships (USA), Rhodes Scholarships (Oxford University) and the Colombo Plan (funded by various countries including Australia). The motivations for funding the education of students from other (most commonly developing) countries are varied. They generally include strengthening the human resource capability of developing nations, as well as exerting political and social influence.
Fellowships make up a smaller element of sponsored education related exchange. They often involve professional short courses, academic exchange or placements of research students. Although there isn’t an explicit focus on fellowships within this module, many of the issues around managing expectations, understanding contexts and supporting fellows will be transferrable.
Sponsored students come from a variety of national contexts. Many come to Australia from developing countries so must adjust not only to a life of study in an Australian educational setting, but also to a very unfamiliar way of life.
By completing this module, you will better understand:
- different scholarship types, purposes and goals
- impact of international students’ socio-political contexts
- importance of on-award support and activities for scholarship students
- avenues through which funding for scholarships can be accessed
- purposes of alumni engagement.
Target audience
This online module is aimed at professional staff who work with sponsored students and scholarship/fellowship bodies. It will appeal to a broad range of interests, from student wellbeing and on-award support to funding and other business development opportunities.
Learning tasks
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Task 1: Scholarship types, purposes and goals
Research and reflective task (2 questions; 200 words each)
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Task 2: Understanding scholarship students’ geopolitical contexts
Research and reflective task (3 questions; 200 words each)
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Task 3: On-award support and activities
Contribution to online forum discussion
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Task 4: The role of business development
Learning check (short quiz)
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Task 5: The importance of alumni engagement
Reflective task (3 questions; 200 words each).
Learning tasks will be assessed as satisfactory or not satisfactory. Successful completion of all tasks will earn you a digital credential for this online module.
Digital credential
Once you have successfully completed the module, IEAA will issue a digital credential via Credly’s Acclaim platform. Your digital credentials can be easily displayed, verified and shared online – whether it’s your resume, online or social media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook).
If you have any questions, contact us at [email protected].